


All Too Human

by vix_spes



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s01e08 Fromage, Friendship, Gen, Jealousy, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 16:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10790091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: Will Graham affects Hannibal in ways that no-one else is capable of.





	All Too Human

**Author's Note:**

> I always swear that I won't start writing in a new fandom and then the inevitable always happens. Huge thanks to the amazing [Nia_Kantorka](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Nia_Kantorka/pseuds/Nia_Kantorka) for the beta.

Hannibal couldn’t help but hold his breath as Jack Crawford entered his office, a grim look on his face. Tobias’ announcement that he’d killed two men rang in his ears and he steeled himself for Jack’s confirmation that one of those killed was Will. It hadn’t taken him long to realise who or what Tobias Budge was and Hannibal had made his plans accordingly. The killing of Franklyn Froideveaux had been a necessity and an inevitability, one that Hannibal didn’t regret in the slightest as Franklyn had become both rude and irritating in his obsession with Hannibal. The potential death of Will Graham however? Well that left Hannibal conflicted in a way that he had never expected, and thus never prepared for.

He had never come across a mind like that of the Special Investigator. It fascinated Hannibal, drew him in like a siren song. Will’s mind worked in such amazing ways, made leaps that shouldn’t be possible especially with the sickly-sweet smell of sickness that overlaid Will’s own scent. It was dangerous. Will was dangerous but Hannibal couldn’t bring himself to pull back. With the way that Will’s mind was capable of working, it was inevitable that he figured out that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper sooner or later, just as he had with the Minnesota Shrike and the Angel-Maker. Indeed, there were times when Hannibal thought it possible that Will already knew Hannibal’s other identity, at least subconsciously. In this respect, it would be easier for Hannibal if Will Graham _were_ one of the two men killed by Tobias Budge at _Chordophone_ – and wasn’t that what Hannibal had been aiming for when he had given Will the information he needed? Yet, Hannibal found himself intensely possessive over Will. No, if Will had to die, if Will was _going_ to die then it would be at Hannibal’s hands and Hannibal’s hands alone. Yet, even though his identity and whole life would be at risk eventually, he couldn’t quite bring himself to kill Will; he’d found that he’d grown rather accustomed to having the man in his life.

Hannibal had known as soon as Will had stood in his office and described what he saw at the symphony hall who the killer was; it wasn’t hard to make the leap. Still, he enjoyed the conversation, the back and forth between them and then Will admitted that he heard what the killer was playing behind his eyes. He had known that Will was lying when he responded that he saw himself but hadn’t pushed, instead redirecting the conversation so that he could further watch Will’s mind work.

“It’s a serenade.”

The way that Will described it caught Hannibal’s attention – not that Will had lost it in the first place. This was why he liked Will, liked his mind. How many people would describe a murder as a serenade? There were deep, dark currents to Will’s mind that drew Hannibal in and he found that he didn’t want to resist the lure. As he heard Will say that he believed the killer wanted to show someone how well he plays, Hannibal couldn’t help but draw parallels between himself and Tobias. Where Tobias wanted to create a serenade, Hannibal created art, desiring Will to see the dark beauty in each of his creations. Maybe, one day, Hannibal hoped that he and Will would be able to see the beauty together.

(~*~)

When Will had arrived at Hannibal’s home, interrupting his dinner with Tobias and announcing that he had kissed Alana Bloom, Hannibal hadn’t been entirely unsurprised by the stab of jealousy that hit him. Instead, he had focused on preparing dessert for the two of them and agreed with Will when he had said that Alana wasn’t good for him and he wasn’t good for her. Nobody was good for Will Graham. Nobody except for Hannibal himself. They had discussed Alana for several more minutes before Hannibal had diverted the subject back to the current investigation, not wanting to dwell overly long on Will kissing Hannibal’s former student.

“Are you still hearing the killer’s serenade behind your eyes?”

“It’s our song.”

Will’s simple response caused an even sharper pang of jealousy than the knowledge that Will had kissed Alana and Hannibal’s hand had clenched around the silverware before he forced himself to relax. The only killer that Hannibal wanted Will to have a personal relationship with was him, with the Chesapeake Ripper. And then, all the pieces had fallen into place and Hannibal had been able to manipulate everything as he wanted it.

Were the killer anyone else but Tobias then Hannibal may have been flattered at having his ego stroked but there was something about Tobias that rankled with him. The arrogance, the audacity of the man simply guaranteed that Hannibal would never be friends with him even if his use of Franklyn had the advantage of ridding Hannibal of an irritating patient. No, as he had confided in Bedelia, while Hannibal had far more in common with Tobias and while he had admired the other man’s theatricality – using the piano wires as bolas to wrap around Hannibal’s arm had been appealingly innovative – the only person’s friendship that Hannibal wanted was Will Graham’s. Tobias might want Hannibal as a friend, seeing in him a kindred spirit, someone who saw the world in the same way as him but Hannibal already had that person; they just didn’t know it yet.

In Will, Hannibal had finally found someone worthy of his friendship, however much of a strange feeling it was for Hannibal to desire friendship. To desire something so base, so human. They may see the world in different ways but the unique way in which Will saw the world was truly fascinating to Hannibal. Fascinating albeit disconcerting. Will Graham roused feelings in Hannibal that had long been buried, hidden behind walls that Hannibal had raised high himself. More than that, Will was clever enough to scale those walls. Of that, Hannibal was certain.

(~*~)

Sat bruised and bloodied in his office, as the corpses of Franklyn and Tobias were zipped into body bags, Hannibal couldn’t help but feel pleased with how things had worked out, even if he was still unsure as to the fate of his Will. Hannibal watched as Jack took in the devastation that was Hannibal’s usually pristine office – Tobias had certainly been a challenging adversary, even if Hannibal was eventually superior – but then a familiar figure entered the room and it was all Hannibal could do to maintain his always impeccable control over himself and his emotions as a very much alive – although somewhat bloodied – Will Graham walked into his office. Judging from the flash of surprise that flicked over Jack’s face, he wasn’t entirely successful but he couldn’t bring himself to care as his eyes tracked Will across the room until the profiler was stood within touching distance. Tilting his head back, feeling somewhat vulnerable, Hannibal spoke quietly.

“I was worried you were dead.”

Will made no verbal response but a small quirk of his lips told Hannibal that he felt the same. Feeling a little irked as Jack interrupted with questions about what had happened, Hannibal made sure to spin everything as self-defence and, although Jack seemed a little sceptical, he accepted Hannibal’s answers and departed soon enough. As Jack turned his back to them, Will took a seat on Hannibal’s desk, tantalisingly within touching distance.

“I feel like I’ve dragged you into my world.”

Looking up, Hannibal was gratified to see that Will was actually making eye contact with him for once and allowed his own lips to tilt up a little in response. “I got here on my own. But I appreciate the company.”

Yes, Will Graham had a way of affecting Hannibal like no-one else, of making him feel all too human in a way that he wasn’t sure he liked but, somehow, Hannibal wouldn’t change that for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on DW, you can do so [here](https://vix-spes.dreamwidth.org/270540.html)


End file.
